News Stories

In 2005, Kyle Helms Walker (’18) was just a kindergartner at Golden Lake Elementary, navigating the early challenges of life. This spring, 21 years after he first walked those halls, Kyle returned with a mission: to pay forward the opportunities that shaped his future.

Since moving on to middle school, Kyle had only returned once—clad in a cap and gown on the senior walk through your elementary school. On this most recent visit in 2026, the nostalgia was just as strong, but his purpose was different. Kyle came to express his profound gratitude for the Golden Lake Elementary Mentor Program. Reflecting on the significant adversity he faced as a young student, Kyle met with Lead Teacher Eric Nelson, who co-founded the program in 2001 with Terri Klebe. He shared how the program’s support served as his foundation during his most difficult years.

Kyle’s gratitude wasn’t just expressed in words. Upon leaving, he presented the school with a $1,000 donation to the mentor scholarship program. Today, Kyle is a homeowner, a world traveler, and a professional at Federal Ammunition in Anoka—successes he credits to the people who believed in him when he needed it most.

As he departed, Kyle left the staff with the mantra he lives by: “Life isn’t about where you come from; it’s about where you go from there.” Thank you, Kyle, for proving that with the right support, there truly are no limits.

Photo: With Kyle are two of his former teachers, Karen Richtsmeier and Emily Hjelle.